Adventures In Sisterhood
by crazyhistorynerd
Summary: This is a collection of one-shots about all the sisters in Walnut Grove. PM me with ideas or leave them as a review. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Adventures In Sisterhood

A/N This was originally written as a stand-alone one-shot, but now it's going into my collection of one-shots. This one features Laura and Mary.

"Now class," Miss Beadle said pleasantly. "I will be handing you back your arithmetic tests. Many of you did very well." Miss Beadle walked around the room whispering praise into a few students' ears.

She handed Laura her test ad then Mary. Miss Beadle leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Please see me after class."

Mary looked down at her test and gasped in horror when she saw a large, red 'D'.

The rest of the pupils focused their attention on Mary, who had tears forming in her eyes.

Nellie Oleson muttered, "Attention hog," and looked away, crossing her arms over chest. Laura rested her hand on Mary's shoulder and mouthed the words, "Are you okay?"

Mary nodded and quickly wiped her eyes.

"Moving on, turn to page-" but Miss Beadle was interrupted by the shrill screaming of the bell. "Have a nice evening, children." The students shuffled out of the schoolroom.

"You can go, Laura. I have things to do," Mary told her sister.

"Okay! I'll see you at home, Mary!" Laura waved and left in a similar fashion as the rest of the students.

Mary took a deep breath and turned to face the front of the room. As she began to walk forward, the only noises she could hear were her heart pounding and her shoes against the rough wood.

"You wanted to see me, Miss Beadle?" Mary choked out.

"Yes Mary. About your test, you were uncharacteristically unprepared. Is there any specific reason?" Miss Beadle asked.

"Our Pa's out of town. We've had a lot of extra chores. I didn't have much extra time to study."

"Laura did just fine on her test." Mary looked to the ground, ashamed. "You just keep studying. I expect better from you next time Mary. You may go."

"Yes, ma'am," Mary said and quickly exited the school building.

_What will I tell Ma? _Mary let the tears fall freely as she raced towards the Ingalls' little house on the banks of Plum Creek. _Will I ever become a teacher?_

As she approached her home she was greeted by Jack, the dog, bounding towards her. "Hi, Jack," Mary croaked, heading towards the creek with Jack at her heels. She knelt by the water and washed her tear-stained face. Jack nuzzled her with his furry head and licked her cheek. Mary managed a smile and scratched his head in thanks.

"Mary! Is that you?" Ma called as she stepped out the door.

"I'm here Ma! Just washing up," Mary stood up and walked towards her mother.

"Did something happen at school? Why were you late?" Ma asked with concern.

"Everything's fine, Ma. Miss Beadle just let me borrow some books to read." Mary said, too embarrassed to say what really happened.

"All right. Get started on your homework," Caroline Ingalls kissed her oldest daughter on the forehead and allowed her and Jack to enter.

"Any news from Pa?" Laura asked as Mary climbed the ladder to the loft.

Caroline's face visibly creased from worry at the mention of her husband. Charles had been sent to Sleepy Eye to drop off some lumber for Mr. Hanson. They hadn't heard anything from him in the week he had been gone. It was unlike him. "Not yet. Would you girls like to eat dinner outside this evening?"

"Yay!" Carrie said, clapping her hands. Laura nodded in agreement.

"Mary? What abut you?" Ma asked.

"No thanks. I'm going to lie down." Mary's response drifted down from the loft.

"Okay dear. We'll be outside if you need anything." Mary heard Ma, Laura, Carrie, and Jack leave the house.

Mary quietly slid down the ladder and looked around to make sure no one was in the house. Once she was certain she walked across the room and grabbed one of Ma's knives. It was small, so Mary could easily conceal it in her skirt. Mary climbed up the ladder back into the loft and lit a lantern. She looked down at the knife.

_Do I really want this? I failed. I'm a disgrace. Anyways, being dead, Ma and Pa wouldn't have to pay for my extra expenses. Laura would get her own room. It would be easier for everyone. What else am I to do?_

Mary was so engaged in her thoughts and the small space between the knife and her neck that she didn't hear the opening and closing of the door and the sound of someone climbing the ladder.

"Mary!" She turned around to see Laura's horrified expression. Laura lunged at Mary, pinning her to the ground as the knife clattered noisily on the floor.

"What were you doing?" Laura demanded, tears falling from her face and onto Mary's.

"K-k-killing myself," Mary choked out, crying as well.

"Why?"

"I failed a test," on those words Mary began to sob.

Laura climbed off of Mary and pulled her sister to her knees.

"Everyone does poorly sometimes. This doesn't mean you can't be a teacher. I believe in you. We all do." Laura pulled her sister close and said, "I love you, Mary."

"Thanks Laura. I love you, too." The two girls climbed down from the loft and put away the knife.

Hand-in-hand they went outside to join the rest of the family for dinner.

….

I wrote this a really long time ago on a car drive back from South Carolina in my notebook. I finally typed it. This is kind of after I failed a test and a quiz and I was all depressed. I edited it a lot. It took me three tries to come up with where Charles was. This seemed to be the safest.

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Adventures In Sisterhood

A/N I'm back. This one's Carrie and Cassandra.

….

Carrie sighed moving her bare feet in circles through the clear, cold water. That morning had unfolded with disastrous events. Ma and Pa ignored her, all for the sake of James, Albert, Grace and Cassandra. Especially Cassandra.

Ever since James and Cassandra had come to live with the Ingalls, Carrie had gained a best friend, but this best friend took attention away from her.

Carrie had never been the favorite. She was a late bloomer, compared to Mary and Laura. She wasn't particularly beautiful, smart, or spunky. So all the others got the attention. They just needed to ask for something and they would get it.

Carrie heard some soft footfalls behind and turned to see Cassandra holding two ragdolls.

"Hi Carrie. Do you want to play dolls?" Cassandra said, sitting beside her.

"No. Just leave me alone," Carrie said harshly, turning her head away.

"B-but why? You promised you would yesterday," Cassandra's lip quivered as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Would you just grow up? Stop being a baby. I just don't want to talk to you," Carrie shouted, whirling around. She stood up and headed off towards the barn. She wasn't in the mood to see Cassandra.

Carrie climbed up into the hayloft and sat, hugging her knees up to her chest. She cried. Ma and Pa didn't care. She was _just_ their third biological child. All the others were just there to replace everything that her and Grace didn't have and that Laura and Mary had left behind.

Carrie heard the soft footsteps on hay and looked up. There was Cassandra, from her cute braids and her tear-stained face to her ripped stockings and muddy boots. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"Existing. Coming here," Cassandra said, coming to sit by Carrie. "You must think that Ma and Pa love me more, or like I'm trying to replace you."

"You don't understand. You all ready are," Carrie said, wiping her eyes.

"Ma and Pa love you. I heard them talking about you last night," Cassandra wrapped her arm around Carrie's shoulder.

"What did they say?"

"They felt bad and you must think they don't care."

"When was this?" Carrie asked.

"Everyone was asleep. I couldn't sleep. I just heard them. Everything was real quiet." Cassandra said. "They said they were gonna take you to Mankato with them for your birthday. Just you."

"Really?" Carrie asked.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry for anything Cassandra! You're my best friend!" At that Cassandra and Carrie hugged tightly. "Now how about we go play dolls?" Carrie asked. When Cassandra nodded, Carrie took her hand and led her into Bandit's doghouse. He didn't use it and it was big enough for the two girls.

They pretended it was their dolls' mansion. "Bigger and fancier than the Oleson's" Cassandra would say. Ma would always scold when she said that, but the two girls didn't care.

"Oh, Emily! What shall I wear to the ball?" Carrie said in an exaggerated high-class accent to Cassandra's doll.

Cassandra giggled and said, "I do not know Melanie. Shall we go to the dress shop to find something?"

The two girls sighed in contentedness under their blankets as the sound of Pa's fiddle drifted up to the loft. Albert and James had gone to sleep a while ago.

"Are you awake?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah." Carrie replied.

"I had a lot of fun today."

"Me too," Carrie said.

"Thanks for forgiving me," Cassandra said.

"You don't need to be forgiven for anything," Carrie said and then added, " I'm glad you came to live with us."

"Really?"

"Of course. You're my best friend and the greatest sister a girl could ask for."

"Thank you. You're my best friend and best sister too." Cassandra hugged her sister tightly before turning over and falling asleep quickly.

Carrie lie there for a few minutes and then she wondered: _How do people make it through life without a sister?_

She pondered that for a few minutes before falling asleep, glad to have so many sisters.

….

I like that. Poor Carrie. I don't own the quote in italics. It's real. I have a sister. We fight all the time. One day hopefully things will get better.

Please review.


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